Scania is ranked among the world’s 100 most sustainable corporations, according to Corporate Knights Global 100 list. The list, which was announced at the Davos World Economic Forum, includes companies from 22 countries encompassing all sectors of the economy.

The Global 100 key performance indicators include energy, carbon, water and waste productivity. Other indicators are leadership diversity, CEO-to-average worker pay, percentage tax paid, safety, innovation, employee turnover and if a senior officer has his/her pay linked to sustainability.

Scania was ranked in place 36, next highest in the auto industry after Toyota. Scania is also the only manufacturer of heavy vehicles among the 100 companies represented.

“This is a clear recognition of the fact that Scania takes sustainability seriously and that our efforts are paying off,” says Erik Ljungberg, Senior Vice President, Corporate Relations. “We are particularly pleased that we rank even higher in the crucial sales to CO2 indicator.”

“If you’re able to foresee and prepare for the future just a little bit better than everybody else, you will have a competitive advantage,” says Ulf Ceder, Business Intelligence Analyst at Scania. 

Ulf Ceder

Within the automotive sector, this is particularly true for manufacturers and operators of commercial vehicles. New trucks and bus concepts take many years to develop, and the vehicles stay in operation for a long time. Global trends such as urban congestion and climate issues have a strong effect on these sectors.

“We live in an uncertain and rapidly changing world, where gut feeling and forecasts aren’t enough,” says Ceder. He is responsible for “scenario development” at Scania, assessing how the future might unfold. Scenarios begin where forecasts normally end and include important driving forces, trends and uncertainties. They are not predictions of the future, but rather scenarios that help to prepare for the future by asking the question “What if?”

Scania has developed three separate visions of what the future might look like in 2030:

New balance, in which sustainability is the norm across societies, companies and nations.  For the transport sector this scenario means increasing demand for sustainable mobility-system solutions. The use of fossil fuels is regulated, and the use of renewable fuels and electrification, especially in cities, is prominent.

Public transport is thriving, as are methods of interaction that do not rely on physical mobility – web conferences and e-commerce, for example. An increasing part of longdistance road traffic has been replaced by sea and train transport, with “space utilisation rate” the new benchmark; “just-in-time” transport is used only in emergencies.

Perpetual growth, in which short-term economic profit is prioritised in a market-driven world. Private mobility is a priority, and worldwide most people have their own cars, typically electric vehicles. The need for more and cheaper energy has led to a diverse mix of sources ranging from oil sand to biofuels. The overall situation is not sustainable and efficient global logistics systems are extremely important.

There is an integrated global logistics system that includes both trucks and buses. Much of the transport goes between “green districts”, cities with their own legislation and subsidies. In such a segregated world (in terms of the environment and the economy), societal tensions and unrest are a problem.

Fight for resources, a worst-case scenario, in which the focus is on natural resources and their scarcity. The result is a protectionism that hampers innovation and global trade.

Low and uneven economic growth is creating social gaps between and within countries, increasing the need for and the cost of security. This in turn is driving up transport costs, leading to the growth of regional supply chains.

“We need to reflect on the consequences of all three and be prepared to deal with them,” says Ceder. “By considering several possible futures we can develop more robust strategies and the competence we need to continue as a leading company 20 years from now.”

“Companies are not isolated worlds but a part of society,” said Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth, the Swedish Minister for Culture and Sports at Scania in Södertälje, Sweden, on Thursday. “They need to have their tentacles out and be updated on what’s going on within culture.”

Cultural sponsorship was on top of the agenda during the minister’s visit.

“It is very important that companies sponsor culture as well as sports,” Adelsohn Liljeroth said. “Grants from the government help partially, but it is not enough for these areas to survive and further develop.”
To sponsor areas such as culture and sports sends signals to customers and employees that the company considers itself a part of a larger whole and that it values ideas that strengthen general knowledge, health and well-being.

“My experience is that culture is higher up on companies’ agendas in other European countries,” she continued. “In Sweden, we focus a great deal on sports instead.”

Scania has a number of current cultural sponsorship agreements. The Museum of Modern Art in Stockholm, for instance, has been sponsored by Scania for several years. The latest addition to the sponsorship list is the contemporary circus company Cirkus Cirkör.

In Södertälje, Scania sponsors experimental exhibition and museum Tom Tits Experiment, along with the Scania Choir and the Opera of Södertälje.

“Places like this play an important role as a part of our industrial heritage,” Lena Adelsohn Liljeroth, Swedish Minister for Culture and Sports, said during her visit to the Scania Museum in Södertälje, Sweden.

At Scania, environmental issues have been important since the mid 1970s. Since then, Scania has continuously worked to reduce the environmental impact from not only its own operations but also from the trucks, buses and engines that the company manufactures.

Scania’s environmental work is a part of the daily operations and the company’s ambition is to always be one step ahead of future environmental legislation. This is reflected in one of Scania’s values which is ‘elimination of waste’. Scania’s strategy, along with continual improvements, has helped significantly in achieving its environmental goals.

The year is 2025. More and more people are choosing to ride buses instead of driving cars. City bus lines have their own dedicated lanes, like streetcar lines without rails. Via feeder routes from the suburbs, passengers travel to safe, well-lit stations in the urban core where buses on the trunk lines stop. All ticket handling occurs outside the buses, reducing the risk of delays.

In Johannesburg, South Africa, Rea Vaya, the city’s new BRT system, is earning high praise from passengers.

Buses have also increased in length in order to accommodate more passengers. This scenario will become a reality in most major cities around the world, according to Rolf Hedberg, Product Manager, Scania Buses and Coaches, with special responsibility for Bus Rapid Transit (BRT).

Escaping oil dependency
In 15 years, BRT systems will be a critical part of the infrastructure, Hedberg says. He lists several reasons for this: the environment, air quality and a desire to escape oil dependency. Experiences with BRT, especially in Latin America and South Africa, have also been very positive so far.

“Buses have always been cost-effective, but the overall experience of a bus journey needs to become more attractive,” Hedberg says. “In a BRT system, the suppliers, transport authorities and city planners can adopt a comprehensive approach.”

For Scania, this means helping its customers find partners who will assume responsibility for vehicle support and other considerations such as IT communications and coordination with other types of public transport.
Building a BRT system takes one to three years, compared with five to 30 years for an underground rail system. To date, Scania has delivered about 2,000 buses to BRT systems around the world.

“The challenge over the next few years will be to persuade more cities to dare to fully invest in BRT and not be satisfied with a budget version,” Hedberg says.

Minimising congestion
Anders Folkesson, Product Manager within Sustainable Systems at Scania Buses and Coaches, cites congestion in the urban core as another reason for investing in BRT.

“There is a trend towards a cleaner environment,” he says, “but even if cars ran on electricity, that would not be enough. There is simply not enough space on the streets to enable everyone to drive their own vehicle. That benefits buses.”

There are other parallel trends. For example, buses are becoming longer in order to accommodate more passengers. Scania has delivered buses that are 20 metres long, but eventually even longer ones may be needed. In addition, the company expects more experiments with electric propulsion, including a technology called “inductive power transfer” where electricity is transmitted wirelessly from the ground to the vehicle. Another method is to charge the vehicles via “electric umbrellas” at bus stops.

Renewable fuels highly prioritised
Hedberg and Folkesson emphasise that BRT is not the only solution to current public transport problems. Expanding the network of filling stations supplying renewable fuels is high on the priority list, since a transition to renewable fuels is one of the most effective environmental conservation measures. Hybrid buses are high on the list, although their development has occurred more slowly than many had predicted.

“Everyone wants to try them,” Folkesson says, “but few want to pay what they cost. Hybrids are not yet commercially attractive enough. Virtually all hybrids being sold today are heavily subsidised in different ways.”

Scania’s aim is to make hybrid buses profitable on their own merits. Based on today’s interest rates and fuel prices, they must pay for themselves in four to six years.

“The big advantage of hybrids is that they harness brake energy,” Folkesson says. Scania developed hybrid buses at an early stage, conducting its first tests in 1986. Over the years, Scania has tested various hybrid solutions − both parallel and series hybrids.

Hybrid technology and driver training
Hybrid technology reduces fuel consumption by an estimated 30 percent, and together with an ethanol engine it reduces fossil carbon dioxide emissions by up to 90 percent, compared with a diesel-operated bus. In a parallel hybrid system an electric motor is connected to the gearbox, while in a series hybrid there is no mechanical connection between the combustion engine and the electric propulsion motor.

Not everything is a matter of vehicle development. Scania’s driver training programmes are also an important element in its effort to reduce environmental impact. Evaluations show that by using Scania Driver Support, a bus driver in urban traffic can save on average 10 percent in fuel consumption.

The European Bus System of the Future (EBSF) is a four-year-long EU project focusing on bus systems in urban areas. Rolf Hedberg represents Scania in the project. Its aim is to highlight best-practice examples. The test cities are Bremerhaven, Brunoy, Budapest, Gothenburg, Madrid, Rome and Rouen.
The project will end in August 2012. Its final report will contain proposed solutions that fit European conditions and requirements.

Read more: www.ebsf.eu

Gas-powered buses. In 1980, Scania delivered the first gas-powered buses in modern times. More than 2,200 buses with Scania gas engines are in operation, in Australia for example.

Ethanol buses. In the mid-1980s, Scania developed its first ethanol bus engines, and ethanol-powered buses have been in full-scale operation in congested urban traffic since 1989. To date, Scania has sold more than 800 ethanol buses.

Hybrid buses. The first test of hybrid buses took place in 1986. In the intervening years Scania has presented six hybrid bus concepts, among them the world’s first hybrids using renewable fuel. These ethanol-powered hybrid buses underwent trial operation in Stockholm traffic in 2009–2010.

Commercial renewable fuels. In 2010, Scania became the first manufacturer to supply buses that can operate on all three commercially viable renewable fuels available today – bioethanol, biogas and biodiesel.

The Belgian company Dewulf has selected Scania's 13-litre engines for its new potato harvesters.

Dewulf, a Belgian company specialising in harvesting technology, has selected Scania’s 13-litre industrial engines for its new Kwatro potato harvesters.

Thanks to Scania’s SCR technology, the new 13-litre industrial engines enable Dewulf to comply with EU Stage IIIB emission legislation on its harvesting equipment.

Karel Decramer, head of sales at Dewulf, says, “Our experience with Scania’s 12-litre engine made it an easy decision to go with Scania again for our new Kwatro. We look forward to using the 13-litre engine; it’s a reliable workhorse with outstanding performance, which is especially important when crops have to be harvested at the right time.”

The Kwatro will be delivered to customers all over Europe.

With the right vehicles, an uncompromising focus on driver behaviour and use of the computer-based Scania Driver Support system, fuel consumption can be reduced to very low levels. This is the assertion of the Scania Transport Laboratory, and it’s done the research to prove it.

“On our best trips between Sweden and the Netherlands, we have reached 18.2 litres/100 kilometres, a level that many say is impossible,” says Anders Gustavsson, Managing Director of the Scania Transport Laboratory.

Fuel economy and road safety 
Scania Transport Laboratory is a wholly owned Scania subsidiary that tests and evaluates vehicle properties and performance in commercial road haulage. It also trains and coaches its drivers in economical and safe driving techniques.

Today the company consists of 65 drivers, 20 tractor units and 75 semitrailers. The fleet includes competitors’ trucks as well, to provide relevant comparisons in real-life conditions.

The practical assignment of the Transport Laboratory is to be responsible for part of Scania’s European production flow by hauling freight and components between the production units in Södertälje in Sweden and Zwolle in the Netherlands.

“From the start in 2007 we wanted the Transport Lab to facilitate communications between Scania’s product development and the daily operations of a haulage company,” says Gustavsson.
“The dialogue works very well,” he says. “Virtually every week, our drivers are visited by employees of Scania’s research and development departments, who want to talk about concrete ideas and improvement opportunities.”

Lower engine revs
One result is that the Transport Laboratory now operates tractor units that are configured with a faster rear-axle gear ratio. This leads to lower engine revs at cruising speed, which can reduce fuel consumption by 3 to 10 percent.

Another result is a new rear air deflector known as a “boat-tail” spoiler, which is mounted at the back of the company’s semitrailers. The spoiler increases the length of the vehicle combination by 30 centimetres, which is equivalent to the extra length permitted by the EU. The results are very promising.

“The fuel savings are close to 4 percent,” Gustavsson says. “For our trucks, which run 360,000 kilometres per year and consume an average of 26 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, it represents an annual saving of nearly 4,000 litres of fuel per truck and lower CO2 emissions.”

Train and coach drivers
But the biggest improvements in terms of fuel consumption and vehicle wear and tear are still achieved by means of consistent efforts to train and coach drivers, combined with systems such as Scania Fleet Management and Scania Driver Support, Gustavsson says.

“These are the most important steps for us to achieve our target of fuel consumption averaging 22 litres per 100 kilometres.”

 7 tips for better operating economy

1. Consistent driver training.
   Repeat and reinforce driver training for real and lasting fuel savings. Find methods and processes for coaching drivers regularly, preferably in real-time using the tools in the Scania Fleet Management Portal.
2. Correct vehicle specification.
   Devote time to determining the correct vehicle specifications for your operations. A faster rear-axle gear ratio leads to lower engine revs at cruising speed and can lower fuel consumption by 3 to 10 percent. Correct specifications may also mean not to have too powerful an engine.
3. Scania Ecocruise.
   Make use of Scania Ecocruise. This is an intelligent cruise control system that can save up to 4 percent on fuel.
4. Scania Driver Support.
   Make use of Scania Driver Support. This computerised support system guides the driver in real time by providing tips and feedback.
5. Properly adjusted air deflectors.
   Ask your Scania workshop to help adjust air deflectors properly. An improperly adjusted deflector will increase fuel consumption.
6. Regular vehicle checks.
   Check the axle and wheel alignment regularly and adjust tyre pressure.
7. Regular trailer checks.
   Check axle alignment and brake settings regularly in order to avoid traction losses.

Source: Scania Transport Laboratory

About Scania Transport Laboratory

• Average annual mileage of 360,000 kilometres per vehicle
• 20 tractor units (4×2)
• 65 drivers
• 75 three-axle semitrailers
• 13 daily trips: Sweden – the Netherlands – Sweden
• Volume 100 m³/semitrailer, load factor 92 percent. Average gross weight of each rig is 37 tonnes en route to Zwolle and 32 tonnes returning.
• Most of this traffic goes via Denmark, with a driver change in Vordingborg.
• Average fuel consumption of 26 litres/100 kilometres (target: 22 litres/100 kilometres).

The contenders, Peter Röder and Hanna Fange, shake hands after two challenging days on the road.

In the end, Peter Röder won over Hanna Fange by a small margin.

“29 years behind the wheel have made me good at thinking ahead of what may happen on the road and in different traffic situations,” Röder said after completing the 1,351 km fuel duel.

25.4 litres/100 km is a bit lower than his normal average. He explains: “The R 480 Euro 6 was a great truck to drive, and it’s much easier driving here in Scandinavia than on crowded German motorways.”

Hanna Fange, however, felt the weight on her shoulders and was a bit disappointed: “I congratulate Peter for being the better driver. At the same time, I know I could have avoided some mistakes earlier today.”

Both drivers in the Scania Fuel Efficiency Duel managed to undercut the target fuel consumption set at 26 litres/100 km. This is in line with the expected average for the Scania Transport Laboratory vehicles.

Anders Gustafsson, Scania Transport Laboratory, congratulates Peter Röder to the victory.

Room for improvement
Anders Gustavsson, MD of the Scania Transport Laboratory, says he is very pleased the duel turned out to be so even.

“We have seen that it is possible to reach well under 26 l/100 km with totally different driving styles. That is encouraging. But we can also see that there is room for further improvement with both drivers,” Gustavsson says. 

The Scania Transport Laboratory uses a mix of Euro 5 and Euro 6 vehicles for its transport assignment, plus a couple of competitor vehicles, all with closely matched specifications.

“Each vehicle in our fleet clocks up around 35,000 km per month and we follow up the results in great detail. The average fuel consumption for the 18 Scania trucks used – a mix of R 400 Euro 5, R 420 Euro 5 and R 480 Euro 6 – generally differs less than half a litre per 100 km, including AdBlue for the 420 and 480,” says Anders Gustavsson.

“During winter, we averaged around 29 litres/100 km and during summer, we expect the average to be around 26 litres/100 km, as in this duel.”

Johan Berglund, Head of Scania Fleet Management, comments on the fuel duel, which he monitored all the way via the Scania Fleet Management Portal:

Peter Röder was appointed the winner in the Scania Fuel Efficiency Duel.

Fleet Management Portal
“Following the two drivers continuously these two days has been most interesting. Two skilled drivers with slightly different driving styles achieving virtually the same results. Hanna Fange is used to driving according to the recommendations, whereas Peter Röder has a different and obviously very effective way of negotiating hills.

“The difference between the Scania Driver Support scores shows that there is more than one way to skin a cat. Scania Driver Support is designed to provide real-time coaching on parameters that are well-known from driver training and thus encourage the driver to adopt a safe and economical driving style.”

Peter Röder says he performed better on Danish and Swedish roads than on dense German motorways.

Hanna Fange was satisfied with her overall performance, but admits a few mistakes along the road.

Hanna Fange and Peter Röder with representatives from TSL and Scania.

Scania Fuel Efficiency Duel drivers Hanna Fange and Peter Röder in Vordingborg, Denmark.

Show Scania fuel duel 2011 on a map.

Scania Fleet Management reports on several parameters. The table below includes a list of some of the most relevant criteria including average fuel consumption (AFC), Scania Driver Support percentage (SDS), location, distance and average speed. The target values for AFC and SDS are 26.0 l/100 km and 85 %, respectively.

Note: Updated values reflect accumulating trip averages.

Read more about the drivers.

Day 2, 27 May 2011

Time	Hanna Fange	Peter Röder
12:18 (finish)	22.7 l/100 km 97 % Södertälje, Sweden 677 km 78.0 km/h	22.4 l/100 km 79 % Södertälje, Sweden 678 km 77.3 km/h
12:00	22.7 l/100 km 97 % Järna, Sweden 665 km 79.5 km/h	22.3 l/100 km 81 % Järna, Sweden 668 km 79.0 km/h
11:00	23.0 l/100 km 96 % Jönåker, Sweden 583 km 79.1 km/h	22.4 l/100 km 81 % Jönåker, Sweden 585 km 78.4 km/h
10:00	23.4 l/100 km 94 % Linköping, Sweden 503 km 78.7 km/h	22.5 l/100 km 79 % Linköping, Sweden 504 km 77.8 km/h
09:00	24.6 l/100 km 93 % Gränna, Sweden 420 km 78.0 km/h	23.5 l/100 km 78 % Gränna, Sweden 421 km 76.9 km/h
08:00	25.2 l/100 km 91 % Skillingaryd, Sweden 339 km 77.2 km/h	23.4 l/100 km 76 % Skillingaryd, Sweden 339 km 75.7 km/h
07:00	25.0 l/100 km 91 % Klevshult, Sweden 333 km 77.7 km/h	23.3 l/100 km 76 % Klevshult, Sweden 333 km 76.2 km/h
06:00	25.5 l/100 km 91 % Hamneda, Sweden 264 km 77.3 km/h	23.6 l/100 km 76 % Hamneda, Sweden 263 km 75.6 km/h
05:00	26.0 l/100 km 85 % Östra Ljungby, Sweden 182 km 75.2 km/h	24.4 l/100 km 72 % Östra Ljungby, Sweden 181 km 73.0 km/h
04:00	24.6 l/100 km 77 % Helsingør, Denmark 136 km 76.4 km/h	23.1 l/100 km 65 % Helsingør, Denmark 136 km 74.4 km/h
03:00	24.4 l/100 km 100 % Greve Strand, Denmark 79 km 79.3 km/h	23.3 l/100 km 70 % Greve Strand, Denmark 78 km 75.8 km/h
02:00 (start)	- l/100 km - % Vordingborg, Denmark 0 km - km/h	- l/100 km - % Vordingborg, Denmark 0 km - km/h

Hanna Fange and Peter Röder in Vordingborg, Denmark after day 1 of Scania Fuel Efficiency Duel.

Peter Röder, the TSL driver who is in the lead after the first day of the Scania Fuel Efficiency Duel, was very content with his performance.

“Everything went well today,” says Röder. “We had a strong headwind though, which may have affected fuel consumption.”

Röder experienced a new traffic pattern than he is used to from his daily tasks on German motorways.

“It was a lot easier to drive here. It’s not that crowded and the landscape was very flat with just a few hills.”

Even though he didn’t change his driving style for this occasion, he was nevertheless more focused on his task.

Hanna Fange from Scania Transport Laboratory was also pleased with her driving. For her, the day of the duel was almost like any other normal day of driving.

“I tried to drive like I’m used to, not thinking too much about the duel.  I use Scania Driver Support a lot and I really appreciate the feedback I constantly get,” she says.

“The only thing that I’m not a 100 percent content with is that I let go of the downhill speed control a bit too early on some hills. I’ll try not to make that mistake tomorrow when we continue the duel.”

Proven professionalism

Anders Gustavsson, MD of the Scania Transport Laboratory, says both Peter Röder and Hanna Fange have certainly proved their professionalism. “My congratulations to both”, he says. “Their driving has been very consistent the whole way, from Södertälje to Vordingborg.

“The trailers were swapped half-way to even out any differences in weight and rolling resistance. The swap proved worthwhile, because the figures for the two trucks then evened out very nicely.

“On the trip back tomorrow, Peter and Hanna will drive two other truck individuals, but still Scania R 480 Euro 6, of course. The load on the way back will be somewhat lighter and again to even out any differences we will swap trailers halfway.”